


I Won't Say It

by SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher (UglyTwinkBoi)



Category: Star Stable
Genre: M/M, Swearing, but kinda not, how they got together, kinda cheesy, mostly swearing as they realise how bad they've fallen for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 04:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8953285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyTwinkBoi/pseuds/SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher
Summary: The story of how Ydris and Jack met and fell for each other.





	1. Building the Circus

**Author's Note:**

> Some important things to know about this AU:  
> *Jack is not transgender - he was born a boy.  
> *I haven't marked this as Underage because Jack is thirty-three and Ydris is about forty-two.  
> *In my other series, An Unlikely Friendship, that is exactly what it is; a friendship: no romance or sex, just Ydris and Jack being all pally.
> 
> \----
> 
> Title is from Disney's Hercules "Won't Say I'm in Love"

It was a perfectly normal summer day in Jorvik when it began; the birds were singing and the sun was glowing, providing a gentle heat that caressed the land. If you were to wander up the mountain path just north to Moorland Stables and to cross the plateau there until you came to a wide bend that led to a huge bridge, turn to the right and climb up the small incline to a meadow, then you would find a half-built circus with a small man in Jester uniform hanging from a rope and a taller man dressed in a long grey overcoat screaming and swearing at the Jester-ornament for being such an insufferable imbecile that couldn't even build a simple tent.

It was this scene that Jack wandered in on.

Clearing his throat, the rider dismounted from his young black Oldenburg gelding and approached the grey man; he stood silently at the screaming man's side, waiting for him to notice the younger's presence.

Once he had taken account of the extra party at his side, the grey man let out an over-exaggerated yelp and jumped back in surprise. 'Where the fuck did you come from?!' he yelled, grasping his chest over his heart. 'Christ, you nearly gave me a heart attack...' he mumbled.

'I just came from the mountain path,' the young man replied, his tone almost bored although it hid some amusement, 'I was taking a walk with my horse-' he indicated in the direction of the grazing black gelding, '-up to the bridge to visit Ed, see if he needed any help, and heard a commotion from up here.' There was silence for a few moments. 'It happened to cross my mind that maybe you guys needed some help more than Ed might.'

The tall man stared; the young man's tone was so bored and deadpan that it was almost hilariously funny. _Almost_.

'Who are you anyway?' he asked.

'I'm Jack,' came the reply.

'Ydris,' the taller drew himself up as he said it, almost prideful. He stuck his hand out. 'The Great Ydris, to give myself my full title.' A proud smirk blossomed over his face.

Without missing a beat, Jack grasped Ydris' hand, shook it deftly and without a flicker of emotion on his face, said, 'And the Great Ydris can't put up a tent by himself?'

The pride disappeared from the grey man's stature, taking his hand back and crossing his arms, he snorted. 'Alright, I'll give you that one, but that dipstick up there should be able to help,' he all but spat.

Jack analysed the situation, staring intently at the tent. 'Where do I start?' he asked suddenly after the few moments of gathering silence.

'What?'

'Well, I think we should start by getting your friend down from that rope,' Jack carried on, 'I don't think the puce red on his face is a good sign.'

'I wouldn't exactly call him my friend,' Ydris grumbled.

Swinging back up on his horse, the younger man paid no mind to the complaint and drove the hose underneath the Jester. Performing some great balancing act that Ydris would have adored to feature in his circus, Jack stood up on his horse and untied the small man from his ropey prison, setting him the right way up and dropping him to the grass. Ydris couldn't help but stare at the defined biceps and the stretch of muscular abdomen that Jack had at his dispense. Realising his creepy staring, Ydris shook himself and forced a glare at the Jester.

'For the love of Aideen, how did you manage to get caught up there, you dickhead?' he snapped, scowling.

The Jester gave an incoherent mumble and promptly fainted. Jack leapt down from his horse and fussed around the unconscious man, setting his head in a better position and checking his airways.

The tall circus master scoffed. 'Oh, don't bother about that,' he growled, 'he's magic, he won't die.'

'Magic?' the rider questioned, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

'Yes,' Ydris replied. He made a bored sweep of his arm, bright green light like glitter coming from the trail of his hand, 'magic.'

'You're wizards?'

Ydris made a shaky motion with the same hand, the green glitter still somewhat sparking from his fingertips. 'Well, _I'm_ a wizard; the Jester is a gnome-troll hybrid with little to no magic, but he certainly makes mischief, not just for me, but for other people too.'

'How did you two meet? You sound very different from each other,' Jack asked, jaw jutting out in confusion.

'Never mind that now,' the wizard snapped flippantly, 'I would very much like to get this circus up and built.'

The rider shrugged. 'Okay,' he said, standing.

'If you get some new wood for the posts and pegs, then I'll get started on fixing the holes in the tent.'

* * *

 

Two or three days later - it was difficult to tell; the hours had all seemed to merge together - a fresh tent stood before the wizard, gnome-troll hybrid, and the young rider. Clapping a hand on his shoulder, Ydris grinned at Jack. 'Thank you, Jack,' he said, 'here, as a token of my appreciation, take this ticket.'

The shorter man frowned but took the glowing paper. 'What's it for?' he asked.

'It is a magical ticket that'll let you come back into my circus anytime you want,' he explained.

Jack smiled. 'Thank you,' he said, 'I'll be taking my leave now, if that's alright? I think the Ed needs some help with new recipes.'

The wizard flung his hands in the air. 'Of course, of course!' he cried, 'I'm sorry to have kept you this long.'

'Oh, no, don't worry about it,' the rider replied, swinging up onto his horse - a large dapple grey Shire this time, 'it was fun.'

Ydris smiled awkwardly. 'Yeah,' he said, 'I enjoyed it... uh, spending time with you... it's been fun,' he stuttered, 'we should... do it again sometime.'

'Yeah, well, don't go breaking your tent just so we can do it all again,' the younger man replied, smirking, turning his horse to go.

The wizard laughed much too hard. 'I'll try not to,' he chuckled, 'and I'll keep this little shit away from it too.'

Jack sniggered softly. 'You do that,' he said, kicking his horse into a trot off down the path towards the bridge.

Ydris watched the horse and his rider ride away until they turned the corner and disappeared behind the wall of rocks. Once they had gone, the wizard vanished into his wagon and banged his head against the headboard of his bed. 'Shit, shit, shit,' he cursed, 'I'm in love with the fucker.'


	2. Scrapes

Since his realization, the wizard hadn't seen Jack once, not even on the Bobcat Race - and no, he didn't leap to attention every time he heard hoof beats. Ydris was getting restless and annoyed, especially with the other people that came to talk to him; it was almost as if he was blaming them for not being Jack.

He couldn't just go down to Moorland and ask where he was, could he? No, he didn't fit in there, or anywhere; his presence just wasn't welcome, not even in Valedale which was probably the height of irony.

* * *

 

'Soooooooooo,' May crooned, sidling up to Jack's side as he groomed his skewbald Icelandic Horse, Rusty, 'you've been hanging around on Jorvik for a little while now; you met anyone?'

Jack flinched at the sudden noise from the young stable girl, offering a calming hand as Rusty snorted and shook his head. 'What?' he growled at May.

'Have you met anyone?' she repeated.

The rider rolled his eyes. 'Yes, I've met quite a few people,' he snapped, in no mood to be talking.

May laughed. 'No, I mean, have you met someone special?' she giggled.

Jack huffed. 'I don't know,' he replied with a shrug.

'Let's see,' the stable girl mused, 'Jenna?'

The man gagged.

'Loretta?'

Another gag.

'Tan?'

A shake of the head.

'You've been to Valedale, so... Elizabeth?'

A groan. 'I'm not really... into girls,' he muttered.

'Oooooooh!' May squealed, 'Josh?'

'No.'

'Justin?'

'No.'

'Ydris?'

A pause. Another pause. A pause that stretched into silence.

May gasped. 'Oh my God! You like Ydris?' she all but yelled.

'No.' The colour on Jack's cheeks betrayed his lie.

The stable girl squealed again and clapped her hands, only stopping with Rusty stamped a hoof and shook his head. She ran off to God knows where.

'Shit,' Jack muttered.

* * *

 

Ydris tried, God did he try, to lure Jack to the meadow.

That day, he started to climb the mountain that lined his field; he had climbed it plenty of times before without incident, but today he had a plan.

He got to the highest point that he could, when he saw a loose rock and grabbed it. It didn't come loose immediately, but with a bit of pulling as he struggled to get himself a little bit higher, it started to wobble. Genuine fear gripped him and he yelled, scrunching his eyes shut; perhaps this wasn't his greatest idea: heights weren't exactly his thing.

He heard a laugh from behind - well, below - him. 'Oh, hello, Jack,' he called down, scrabbling with his feet to find purchase.

'Ydris, for fuck's sake, what are you doing?'

'I _was_ climbing, until this little bastard of a loose rock decided to present itself to me.'

He yelped as he felt hands around his waist. 'Okay, come on,' Jack said, suddenly very close to his ear. He started to tug on the wizard, trying to get him off of the mountain.

'Fuck off! I'll fall!' Ydris snapped.

'No, you won't. Trust me.'

Jack pulled again, now having the taller man clutched to his chest. The wizard tucked his legs into his stomach, his back pressing against Jack's front, and crossed his arms, scowling. The young man started to climb back down the mountain.

'You're ridiculously strong,' he grumbled.

'Eh, I've always been like that,' Jack grunted, focusing on getting back to the ground more than what Ydris was muttering about.

The wizard said nothing until his feet were back on the grass. 'Wouldn't it have been easier to have chucked me a ladder?' he growled.

'Yeah, because I always carry a ladder in my rucksack,' Jack deadpanned without missing a beat.

'Well, now that you're here...' Ydris hesitated, playing with his hands and avoiding Jack's eye, '... would you like to-?'

The shorter man's phone trilled, cutting off the wizard. The rider groaned. 'Sorry, Ydris, I'm needed over in Jarlaheim - I think Gavin has forgotten that he can't fly again,' Jack said, looking at his phone and the call contact.

The sorcerer paled. 'Is he-?'

'He'll be fine,' the rider said, swinging up onto Rusty, 'he just needs someone to catch him.'

And with that, he left Ydris in a cloud of dust as he raced away.

* * *

The next week, Ydris was sitting in his circus, lounging around, with his feet kicked up on the back of the chair in front of him. He looked across at the opposite side of the arena, observing the creepy cloaked visitors that glared at him. 'When did I invite you guys in here?' he mused to himself.

'Sinner.'

He froze at the cold whisper that floated on the gentle breeze, licking at his ears.

'Falling in love with a _boy_?'

'Don't even start,' he snarled, 'he isn't a _boy_ , he's a _man_.'

'He's so young... and you're so old.'

'Avalon, fuck off.'

The wizard turned to look at the cloaked druid, wincing at the wave of painful magic that washed over him. He felt the scars of his recent encounter with the druids split roughly. 'I would advise you _not_ to use that tone of voice with me,' the old sorcerer rumbled.

'I'll use whatever sort of tone I want; you don't own me,' the wizard spat back.

'That's where you're wrong though, isn't it?'

Ydris looked away, saying nothing. He just glared at the blood stains blooming across the grey of his trousers.

'Every moment that you engage with that _boy_ ,' Avalon forced the word out of his mouth and into Ydris' ears like it was venom, 'the more pain you will suffer. We've been here before, Ydris, from that little stint with Annabella.'

The wizard drew himself up, getting to his feet and looming over the druid, eyes on fire. 'You're really going to bring that up?'

Avalon said nothing.

'I _loved_ her,' the sorcerer went on, 'but because she was part of your little _cult_ , I was forbidden from even talking to her. And is that what Jack is? Another Annabella? And are you going to end his life the same way that you did-?'

He was cut off from a sudden constriction in his windpipe. For a moment, he gasped like a fish out of water, trying desperately to claw in air, before he gathered his composure and stood still, flames flickering his deep blue eye as the brown iris in his other eye all but vanished as his pupil leaked into the rest of his eyeball, smothering his vision with inky night.

'We've been through this, Ydris,' Avalon replied calmly, 'Annabella met her own fate all by herself - we had no part of it.' He paused. 'And you may want to stop with that black magic too.' The pointed glare at his black eye, from which a swirling Pandoric light shone from it, made Ydris furious.

Using his own magic to fight off the druid's from around his throat, the wizard obliterated and held off the spell. Not even taking a moment to savour the air that he could suck in, he screamed, 'I AM NOT A PUPPET!'

Avalon hummed. 'And where have you gotten that idea?' he asked.

'This-' he pointed to his blackened eye '-is all _you_! You put this... this... _spell_ on me to make me feel pain! But don't you get it? This black eye doesn't matter! I feel pain every single day, and I can't do a thing about it!'

The druid made a noise as if to tell the wizard to explain himself.

'You told me that swarming black in my eye symbolised the heightened pain that I put myself through,' Ydris snarled, 'but I suffer even without it. The memories that I bear on my shoulders are enough pain to last a lifetime.'

Suddenly exhausted, the wizard slumped back on the seat, gasping in air, savouring it this time - because he couldn't tell when it would be cut off again.

Avalon put a hand on the side of Ydris' face, almost tenderly, if not for the burning sensation that blossomed into his skin. The druid bent down to face the wizard, although his face was still hidden under the hood of his cloak. 'Just stay away from Jack, and we won't have to have this conversation again.'

And with that, he was gone.

Exhaustion almost prevented him from crying, but he managed. Like he always did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this got dark...  
> This sudden side plot may or may not be continued (with Annabella and that little story), but that will be a separate fic; the threats from the druids will probably still feature in coming chapters of this one.


	3. I Don't Want the World to See Me

The next day, Ydris woke up later than usual. His eye was still faintly black, but not as noticeable - what was noticeable was the puffy redness of both eyes. He clutched the small bag of lavender that Annabella had kept on her person constantly; the lavender had died and the scent had vanished on the wind, but the memory was still there, and boy, did he know it. Every waking moment, every unconscious moment, there she was, looking at him with her evanescent beauty. Her pale skin, with that light dusting of freckles; her long sunset-red hair falling in waves down her back; her pearly blue eyes looking back at him with all her love and affection just for him.

A strangled sob escaped his throat, hurting more than when Avalon cut off his air yesterday evening.

* * *

 

Jack kicked at a stone as he sat on the fence of the horse paddock. Rusty had his head in his rider's lap, snuggled into the warm stomach; Jack played absent-mindedly with the horse's forelock, finding comfort in the fluffy horse.

He was mulling over the wizard, again. 'I just don't know what to do, Rusty,' he mumbled, 'I love him, but I can't tell him that, surely?'

Rusty, of course, did not provide an answer, what with being a horse and all.

May suddenly appeared. 'Course you can tell him!' she cried.

The Icelandic horse screamed and galloped off, kicking and bucking around the paddock and Jack gave such a jolt that he fell with little grace to the hard ground below him.

'For the love of Aideen, woman!' he snapped back at her, 'don't _do_ that!'

'Sorry,' the stable girl laughed, 'but of course you can tell Ydris that you like him.'

'No, I can't.'

'Oh, why not?'

'Well...' Jack struggled for an answer, 'well... the age range. Plus he isn't in love with anyone, is he?'

'Let me show you something.' And with that, May dragged him out of the stables, up the mountain path and into some bushes. 'Look at him,' May whispered.

Under the cover of darkness, the wizard sat, humming a song to himself. He didn't realise his small audience and continued to quietly belt out the song. ' _And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand... when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am..._ '

'Just because he's singing that song doesn't mean that he's pining,' Jack snapped quietly.

'Seriously?' the stable girl groaned, 'listen to him; he's putting more emotion into that than anything else he's ever said.'

'And?'

'And that means that he relates to the song,' May replied, quickly growing annoyed, 'which means that he's in love with someone.'

'No, it doesn't,' the rider retorted, stubbornly, 'it just means that he likes the song.'

'Ugh! You're impossible!' the stable girl all but screamed.

'Everything alright?'

Jack and May flinched at the sudden arrival of Ydris.

'Oh, hi,' the rider grumbled.

'Hello!' the girl cried, cheerily.

The wizard chuckled. 'Never had you down as that kind of person, Jack,' he leered, crossing his arms.

'I'm not,' the young man replied, huffily, his cheeks growing warm. _Although I could be with you_ , he hated himself for even letting the though cross his mind.

Ydris grunted. 'So... what are you doing down there anyway?' he asked.

'Oh, Jack was helping me find my...' May hesitated, 'my, uh... my hoof pick!' she grabbed it from her utility belt and thrust it into the air, 'but we've found it now, so bye!' the girl grabbed Jack's hand and ran off back to the stables.

The wizard shook his head. 'Weird kids,' he muttered to himself and walked back into his wagon.

* * *

 

'Alright, so are we agreed that Ydris is pining for someone?' May asked a moody Jack.

'No, we are not,' he grumbled, turning his back on her and sitting on the grass inside the paddock; Rusty came and laid beside him, resting his head in his lap, nickering gently while his owner played with his forelock.

'For fuck's sake!' the stable girl cried, although it was quiet, so as not to scare Rusty like last time. The young man flinched as he heard the girl swear.

'Didn't think you were a curser,' he said, attempting to change the subject.

'Don't change the bloody subject,' she snapped, cuffing his ear.

'Oh...' Jack gritted his teeth in an attempt to not explode, 'will you do me a favour?'

'What?'

'Fuck off.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, hopefully they'll get longer...
> 
> Also, Ydris is singing "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls, go listen to it.


	4. Shut Up

Months passed; Jack and Ydris became the closest of friends, going to each other when they needed help, and confiding in the darkest of secrets. The wizard have not, could not, tell Jack about Annabella and what had happened to her, for fear of Jack being petrified of the Druids and refusing to work with them, and that Avalon would all but kill him for telling the young rider that.

As of right now, they sat on a picnic blanket in a corner of the field, eating a small pack-up meal that Ydris had made for the both of them. Jack tried to kid himself that this was a date. They ate in silence, until Jack's phone trilled.

He looked at the message, frowning, then stood abruptly, looking around for something. He was muttering to himself, starting to panic.

'What is it?' Ydris asked.

'They've got Dale!' the young rider almost screamed, looking back at the wizard with tears in his eyes.

The wizard also stood. 'Go,' he said, 'give 'em what for.'

'How?!' Jack was breaking down, hands coming to his face as he cried, leaning into Ydris as he felt his strong arms wrap around him.

'Who has him?' the wizard pressed gently.

'Dark Core.'

'Can you get there without a horse?'

'There's a sailor in Golden Hills that can take me,' the rider said, wiping his eyes, 'but how can I get there with no horse?'

Ydris smiled and grasped Jack's hand, holding his eye contact. 'Like this,' he said, clicking his fingers.

Colours that didn't exist flashed before Jack's eyes, swirling wind rushed through his hair and his ears, the world around him didn't exist anymore - he was floating and even that was strenuous to believe was possible - the only thing that he could see and feel was Ydris. His grey coat was clutched in Jack's hands and his calm face lay underneath the colours that flashed through his vision. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something, anything; but Ydris raised his hand from Jack's shirt and put a finger to his lips, halting his speech before it had even started. Suddenly, the air was ripped from Jack's lungs and he all but fell on the bridge.

Straightening up, he looked around. Captain Brus stared at him in confusion; the sea lapped gently under the bridge and the scent of the salt tickled his nostrils. 'Golden Hills!' he cried, 'and... and you can take me to Dark Core's base!' he looked at the helmsman in the boat, grinning. 'Ydris, this is amazing! Thank...' he turned to look at the wizard, and his grin dropped, 'Ydris?' he was met with a thin wisp of white smoke that was quickly disappearing into the air. 'He left...'

Turning back to the helmsman, he stepped into the boat. 'Dark Core again?' he asked, readying his oars.

'Yeah,' Jack said miserably, crossing his arms.

* * *

 

Forty-five minutes passed until the helmsman drew up at the side of the base. 'Be careful,' he told the departing rider.

'Thanks.'

And with that, Jack disappeared up to the higher level.

He hid from the guards, wanting to kill each and every one of them; he followed the beam over the heads of the goons and ran to the platform upon which the portal stood. Hiding in the same spot again overlooking the scene below him, his heart pounded painfully as he saw Dale, surrounded by Dark Core's goons.

Ropes wounds like snakes around his neck and head, chains on his fetlocks holding him in place in front of the swirling mass of the imposing portal. He whinnied and stamped a hoof, lifting a back leg and kicking out at the air. If he could have, he would have swung his head angrily, if it wasn't for the heavy metal bridle on the short chain that held him to the floor, constricting his movement from where the hairs on his muzzle grazed his hooves.

Jack gritted his teeth angrily. How _dare_ they do this to his horse? No doubt they were going to try and turn him into a dark horse or something. He ducked out of sight when he saw a tall man in red and black leathers with a long black staff that he wafted about as he strutted towards the Lipizzaner, his skin was pale and his spiked hair was black with a small streak of red. It was Darko.

The tall man cackled and gesticulated, talking about turning Dale into a dark horse; yadda yadda, same old. Jack's anger flared when he poked the horse's tender stomach with his stick, saying something about being a fine cut of meat and if he was useless as a dark horse, he would make excellent dinner instead. The young man saw red and he leapt up, vaulting over the wall and landing in the shadows away from the portal's light.

'Get away from my horse, punk,' he snarled.

Darko looked over into the darkness and squinted. 'Well,' he leered, 'if it isn't that hyped-up monkey who needs to get some bigger shoes.'

Jack stepped out of the shade and approached the horse and man. 'I said,' he growled, 'get away from my horse.'

'And what are you going to do about it?'

The young rider floundered for an answer. Darko cackled and jabbed his stick in Jack's direction. 'I knew it! You jumped up twat! Where's your army of mystical hippies now?' he howled.

'Right here.'

Both Jack and Darko whipped around to look at the new voice. There stood Avalon, Elizabeth, Alex, Linda and Lisa, all with magic glowing around them.

Without a word, Alex and Lisa leapt forward and started to blast magic at Darko and his guards, knocking some of them to the floor and others off of the platform. Jack stood frozen, as Avalon stepped forward and started to pull him away from the scene. With a jolt, his awareness came back. To the sound of Avalon's scolding, Jack pushed away from the Druid and ran to Dale, tugging at the ropes and the chains.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. 'Avalon, please, I-' but then he stopped.

'Don't worry, Jack, I got this,' the wizard said gently, wrapping his hands around the chain and melting it. Swiftly he did it for each of Dale's chained feet, and moved to the metal bridle. It fell off quickly and with his new liberty, Dale threw his head up and reared, thankfully neither Jack or Ydris were in the way.

Before anything could be said, Jack felt himself suddenly lift off of the ground. He was surrounded in an icy cold bubble of squirming magic, pain racked his body and he cried out. Darko cackled. 'That'll teach you to cross _me_ ,' he howled.

Avalon leapt forward, pushing Ydris out of the way. 'Let him go!' he cried.

'Oh, shut up, you old coot,' the dark man snarled, swinging Jack this way and that, causing the pain to burn and increase.

The Druid raised his hands, magic glowing at his fingertips, aiming at Jack. It was not good magic - Ydris could see that. Getting up from the floor, the wizard rose his own shaking hands. 'Don't even fucking think about it!' he screamed, trembling.

Avalon turned, snarling at the wizard. 'Oh, look, Ydris,' he crooned, 'another Soul Rider dies at your hands.'

'NO!' the wizard bellowed. The magic formed in his hands and grew in a dome around him; it grew and grew and then fired out in all directions, hitting Avalon, Darko and Jack. All four men collapsed to the ground: Darko was knocked off the platform, cutting off his spell; Jack dropped to the ground, dangerously still; Avalon was blasted back ten feet and collapsed at Linda and Lisa's feet, he was unhurt and sat up, glowering at the wizard, who had fallen on his stomach and was gasping with angry tears.

With angry roars ringing in his ears, Ydris crawled to Jack's side. He grasped the man's shoulder and gathered him to his chest. In relief, he felt the steady beat of his heart and the shaky rhythm of his breath. Sobbing, he clambered to his feet and cradled Jack in his arms, snuggling him into his chest.

'Look what you've done!' Avalon bellowed at him, 'yet another Soul Rider that you've killed! First Annabella, now Jack! You're a _monster_!'

Ydris hissed as he felt pain rack his throat, seeping into his entire body; it was so great that he almost fell to his knees, but somehow he stayed standing. 'He's alive,' he croaked, feeling his brown eye starting to turn black, 'and please, take that fucking curse off of me before you scare the girls.'

Avalon sputtered with anger, but, knowing that if the ink smothered his eye, there would be some odd questions to answer, took the pain away and cleared the wizard's eye. 'Well, we'll take Jack back to Valedale, and heal him there,' Avalon growled, reaching his arms out for the unconscious rider.

Ydris hugged the man closer to him. 'No,' he snapped, 'I'll take him back to the wagon and he can rest there.'

'He will not,' the Druid snarled, taking an aggressive step forward.

But before he even put his foot down, Ydris and Jack were gone. Along with Dale, who had almost been forgotten in kerfuffle.

'What did he mean by curse, Avalon?' Linda asked, raising a brow.

'Never you mind,' the Druid snarled, 'he'll have hell to pay from me when I get my hands on him.'

* * *

 

Ydris sat at Jack's bedside, his eyes heavy with lack of sleep, hands twisting and wringing with anxiety. He had been sitting there for hours and it was the middle of the night now. He didn't know how long he would be able to keep awake for much longer, until -

'Ydris?'

'Jack!' the wizard cried, starting to sob. He wrapped his hands around the man's shoulders and held him close, 'I've been so worried. How do you feel?'

'I feel... good, surprisingly,' the rider said, weakly, 'but I could do with something to eat.'

'You remember what happened?' the sorcerer asked, bustling around his small kitchen.

'Yeah...'

There was silence for a moment, in which Ydris had made a sandwich and a mug of tea, until Jack bit his lip and choked on his next words, 'I'm so sorry, Ydris... I-I didn't mean to have been so useless; I should have moved... done... something, anything.'

The wizard sat quietly as the younger man rambled with how sorry he was and that he should have done better, until he cut him off.

'Jack,' he sighed, 'just shut up and kiss me.'

The rider stared in shock. He started to question it, but then thought, _Fuck it_ , and wrapped his arms around the wizard's neck and pressed his lips to Ydris' gently. They stayed like that for a few moments, until they pulled away. And even then, they went back and put a bit more passion into it.

Panting a little, Jack pressed his forehead against Ydris' and grinned. 'I think I've been a little bit in love with you since I met you,' he murmured.

'I _know_ that I've been in love with you since I met you,' the sorcerer muttered back.

The rider laughed and kissed his new boyfriend again, unable to say anything at the moment.


End file.
